Just because I'm crazy doesn't mean I'm wrong.

A nap. Five minutes in the bathroom uninterrupted. The ability to sleep in on a Saturday. A hot meal you don’t have to share with anyone. A phone call without yelling at the kids. I’m sure these are all things we moms daydream about on occasion. Could someone wrap these things up for us on Valentine’s Day? Perhaps these are the best gifts! Continue reading at Portland Moms Blog.

New Years resolutions are inevitable. Even when I say I’m not going to make them, I’m unintentionally making a resolution to not make resolutions! I hear the same things every year, too. Lose weight. Travel more. Try new things. Volunteer more. Spend more time with the family. There has to be a way of setting goals that inspires us to become the best version of ourselves, but aren’t unrealistic and don’t make us feel like failures if they go unaccomplished. Here is my list of five realistic goals I’m setting for myself in 2018. Continue reading at Portland Moms Blog [...]

Oh, birth mom. I think of you. And not just because it’s National Adoption Awareness Month. Most days, I’m awakened by a tug of my comforter as at least one of the boys climbs atop the fluffy covers. That is usually accompanied by a demand for family cuddles or a request for Octonauts on Netflix. If it’s a Saturday, there’s a very emphatic explanation of why it’s a good day to go to Safari Sams. On weekdays there’s the morning bustle to get us all dressed, fed, and out the door to preschool and work. So, there are days where [...]

Aww, the holiday season. Here I am, just minding my own business, still eating my kids’ Halloween candy, and before I know it, Thanksgiving is already here! While the great debate rages on about when it’s okay to play Christmas music and put up the Christmas tree, let us celebrate by stuffing our faces full of turkey, punkin’ pie and all the trimmings! I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving for my family consists mostly of travel and regret. Our family’s own National Lampoon’s holiday road in a three-phase journey. Continue reading at Portland Moms Blog!

It was a Wednesday, late afternoon. I was walking with my twin five-year-old boys through Target looking for some stuff, though I never need an excuse to go to Target. It was one of those rare occasions where I’m brave enough to go to go shopping alone with my kids. In addition to loving Target, I chose going there for a few essentials versus going to the big grocery store because I was worried my kids would be squirrelly squirrels after school. I also thought a smaller store would be easier to find them if they decided to run opposite [...]

You’re running late. One of your kids just took off his shoes because his socks don’t “feel right.” Your other kid just put an entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet. You can’t find your keys. You’re a mom, and you’re about to be elected to mayor of crazy town! The good news is you’re not alone, and you have a chance to express yourself! There’s a unique show called Expressing Motherhood, and it’s all about us moms. Expressing Motherhood is a show unlike any other. It’s real women sharing real stories about their journey of mommy-dom, and it’s [...]

Will this mom thing ever get easier? Nope. Not easier. Just different. I’ve cracked the code, friends. Basically through each stage, your problems just move to a different area of your house. Trouble has somehow gotten ahold of your blueprints, and uses it as a map. For me, trouble began in my twin boys’ bedroom. I remember delirium setting in from sleep deprivation as I wondered if I’d ever sleep again. Then once we got sleep training down, I was barely done with my victory lap before we moved onto potty training. My hand was forced when trouble made its [...]

It’s messy. It’s fun. It’s gross. It’s having your heart live outside of your body, and sending it out into the world. It’s every strong emotion you’ve ever felt combined with your intuition on steroids. It’s like an all-nighter with your drunken roommate. It’s yoga pants and lattes. It’s a love that is indescribable. It’s three cans of dry shampoo and a top knot. It’s a third trip to Target in one day because you keep forgetting stuff. It’s the road trips and play dates. It’s the cuddles and tantrums. It’s the owies and boo-boos. It’s back-to-back episodes of Octonauts [...]

We have dabbled in Legos, testing the waters to see if the boys are interested or ready for it. Now that the boys are a bit older and on the precipice of kindergarten, their dad has lost his ever-loving mind. He says it’s for the kids, but he’s lying to himself, God and everyone. He’s been waiting for this day, secretly longing to trade in those big blocks for that intricate, interlocking brick system. You know the Lego movie? Did I marry the dad? Maybe? Hmm. I joined Weight Watchers, which is basically AA for chubby people, but that is [...]

Newsflash: you’re turning into yo mama. It was the fall of 2010, my pre-motherhood life. My mom and stepdad, Jim, had this timeshare deal and we thought it’d be fun to do Thanksgiving in Las Vegas. After settling in, we headed out to see the sights and I turned to my husband, David and said, “Baby, do you need your jacket?” Not thirty seconds later, the shockingly unbelievable happened. My mother and Jim emerged from their room, and she said to him, “Baby, do you need your jacket?” Continue reading at Portland Moms Blog!